After what feels like years of nagging, my wife has finally decided to replace the clapped out old MTB she (occasionally) rides for something half decent.

A hybrid is probably the kind of thing that will suit her the most but I have absolutely no experience or knowledge with them!

Can anybody provide any advice on the best hybrid to get for around £500?

I quite like the look of the Vitus Vee city bikes at CRC. But they are singlespeed so may not suit your territory or wife’s temperament/fitness. However the simplicity of the vee brake and SS means if it is abandoned int he shed for long spells there’s less to have to fettle back to life for the one day a year ride. You could always put a larger freewheel on as well.
They have a 16″ 26er for £270
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=80999

Thanks Stoner- nice looking bike but I can anticipate the cry of ‘why did you let me get a bike without gears’ when she approaches the first slight incline!!

The Boardman female Hybrid at Halfords is a pretty respectable frame, worth upgrading as things wear; 2×9 gearing and cable discs. My GF has done a few thousand miles on hers over 2.5 years and it’s proving to have been a very sensible buy. Pretty quick for a hybrid and both tougher and easier to ride than a traditional drop-bar bike. Currently on budget too.

Another vote for the boardman here too, budget for a shorter stem as the one supplied was a touch on the long side for a small frame. Mrs _jo runs 700×35 semi slick cross tyres on hers and it copes fine with towpaths and awful roads whilst still remaining quick on the tarmac.

Trek 7.2fx disc – £475. Cracking bike for the money, and there’s a non disc version for £450. It’s all you’ll ever need in a Hybrid.

Should have said it will be on a C2W scheme and she can use pretty much any shop apart from halfords!

Trek it is then.
They make some fantastic womens bikes too. Pretty much every bike has a ladies equivalent. I sell and assemble them all the time and have absolutely no hesitation recommending any of them.

Gahh. No ladies disc version though.

Is there that much of a difference between men and women’s bikes?

Voodoo marasa best hybrid bellow £400 even has hydrolic brakes onit

Have a look at islabike, lovely frame, good size and very upgradable, we went there to buy a bike for our some and came away having ordered 2, one for her and one for the little mite.
Really nice setup, done more biking on it in a year than her 10 year old mtb

Is there that much of a difference between men and women’s bikes?

Yep. Shorter top tube, longer head tube, ladies saddle. A ladies frame should fit around 80% of women better than a mans. Obviously everyone is different though. 🙂

A mates wife has the Islabike 29er and he rates it highly. Gets good reviews as a cheaper hybrid/commuter type bike.

Kona Dew might be worth a look. Mine was indestructible

Re Vitus – they do a geared version:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=81001